Updated October 2024
I’m a Yorkshire lad and Gravy with any meal is sort of expected. There are some exceptions but not many 🙂
Gravy comes in many guises, some call it sauce 🙂
Thinking of the main meal of the day, I call this dinner which, in our house, we have early evening usually before 7PM. A lot of my fellow Yorkshur (Yorkshire) folk usually call this “Tea” but we won’t go into the semantics 🙂
You can of course have gravy with any meal, if you are want but probably not with salad 🙂
When I’m planning a “main meal”, I think about the gravy. It is usually the result of the meat juices along with the “flavourings” used with the meat e.g. When I’m preparing say a roast chicken dinner, knowing that I will make the gravy with the meat juices along with Corn flour and stock cubes. I place things like celery, carrot, onion or garlic into the cavity (of the chicken) and as I tend to use roasting bags, I also throw in celery, carrots, onion or garlic and maybe lemon juice or wedges into the bag.
Roasting bags are wonderful, they stop your meat from drying out and keep it tender, the addition of carrot and celery etc help give extra flavour to the gravy and meat.
If you cook your veg, carrots brocolli or other greens in water, you can use the water to add to the gravy. The water will contain nutrients that have leeched from the veg while cooking.
Making an awesome gravy that is full of flavour is now so easy. It is basically the essence of the combined flavours of the meal you have just cooked. Most people use the roasting pan to make the gravy, you might need to pour off some of the fat
You have the meat juices (along with the flavourings which may include herbs and spices).
You have the water from the veg.
You just need to add corn flour to the mix along with maybe a stock cube. You can also add maybe a squirt of tomato paste. The amount of corn flour (starch) that you add will determine the “consistency” of the gravy. I like it pourable and not too thick. Some like it very thin and runny and some like it thick like porridge!
Some people add a little wine (red or white).
I often add a little “Thick Oyster Sauce”, mainly to give a browner colour or maybe 1/2 teaspoon of “Meat Veg Extract” e.g. Bovril. Dried beetroot can be used to add colour but don’t overdo it, unlees you want red coloured gravy 🙂
The gravy is perhaps not the star of the show but ultimately it is the essence of the meal and contains all the flavours of the meal. It just brings everything together. Sometimes, you can use the left over gravy along with some bread for a tasty snack. “Dip your bread in, tell ’em nothing” 🙂
If you’re not making a roast dinner, you can still make a nice tasty gravy by using stock cubes (chicken, beef, veg) along with corn flour and water. You could of course make the gravy the old fashioned way. As a youngster, I used to watch in awe as my dad (R.I.P.) made gravy. He would put (ordinary) flour into a frying pan along with some fat and he would brown the flour then add water a bit at a time – basically a roux. If it wasn’t brown enough, he would add gravy salt.
So your basic gravy is Stock cube(s), corn flour (or other startch) and water. Then you can have some fun with it 🙂 Try adding a bit of wine or brandy or some fried onions. Tomato paste (puree) adds a bit of colour.
Have a look at what you’re cooking and maybe add bits of veg and / or meat juices. Might mean you need to use a blender and / or strainer (its gravy not a soup). Often a knob of butter will give it a nice sheen. A bit of fresh cream can be good sometimes but don’t overdo it.
I’m fond of Chinese food and my favourite is “House Special Chop Suey” (from the takeaway). I love the brown gravy and recently discovered how to cook a Chop Suey and the brown gravy, it is so easy. For the gravy you need:-
Oyster sauce (just a little), Soy Sauce, Shaoxing wine (just a little), Chicken stock (could be a stock cube) and Corn Flour / Starch. Gluten Free Soy sauce is good.
To make 400ML of gravy – usually serves 2
- 400MLcold water
- I x Chicken stock cube.
- 2 x Tablespoons of Corn Flour / Starch
- 1 x Teaspoon Oyster sauce.
- 1 x Teaspoon of Soy sauce.
- 1 x Teaspoon of Shaoxing wine.
- optional sugar to taste.
Bring it all together in a pan, keep stirring, until it starts to bubble and then leave to simmer for a few minutes. Taste and then add more Oyster sauce or Soy sauce. The wine can make the gravy bitter so you can add some sugar to taste. Add more water for a thinner gravy.
If you have any left over awesome gravy, you should be able to freeze it.
Experiment and have fun, when you have found the ratios of oyster sauce, Soy Sauce and Wine. Write down